PROVIDENCE — At around the same time that some of his neighbors in the Elmhurst neighborhood were receiving their diplomas from Providence College, Torey Krug was graduating, too.

PROVIDENCE — At around the same time that some of his neighbors in the Elmhurst neighborhood were receiving their diplomas from Providence College, Torey Krug was graduating, too.

To the National Hockey League.

Less than two weeks after being promoted from the Providence Bruins, the unsung defenseman has become one of the very best stories of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Boston Bruins.

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Summoned from the minors because of injuries to three veteran defensemen, the 22-year-old scored four goals and helped reenergize the Bruins’ breakout and transition game as they rolled over the New York Rangers in five games.

After he scored on Saturday night, the crowd at TD Garden yelled “Kruuuuuug” in tribute to the undersized rookie. And fans sang his praises on Twitter under the “legendofkrug” hashtag. One entry read, “If opportunity knocks and Torey Krug’s not home, opportunity waits.”

With Krug playing a key part, the Bruins are eight wins away from their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. They will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals starting later this week.

“There’s no doubt he was magic for us in this series,” Boston coach Claude Julien said on Saturday night.

“He’s shown what he’s all about. We said [he had] ice in his veins and that’s what he’s got.”

Seemingly overnight, Krug has gone from riding buses in the minor leagues to a starring role in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NHL’s biggest stage. But he hasn’t allowed himself to be overwhelmed by his surroundings. Despite his inexperience, he plays with the confidence of a 10-year veteran.

“It was so loud in there [for Game Five] I could barely hear myself think sometimes. It was a great experience,” he said.

“Every game I’ve been able to take a step back before the National Anthem, look around, close my eyes, think about everything for a second, understand how special this is,” said Krug. “With that, I just go out there and play my game and just try to contribute to the team in any way possible. Every game I seem to find a way to.”

No one is making any comparisons to all-time-great Boston defensemen Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque, but Krug has done something that neither Orr nor Bourque did — score four goals in his first five Stanley Cup playoff games.

“It’s unbelievable, the poise he has with the puck,” said Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, whose leg injury in the Toronto series helped open the door for Krug.

“If I’m not going to be scoring or making an impact in the offensive zone, I’m not going to be sticking around. They’re just going to find a bigger guy who can do those things,” said Krug, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds.

After his junior season at Michigan State, he signed a free-agent contract with Boston in March 2012 and played two regular-season games. Except for a one-game callup, he spent the 2012-13 regular season in Providence, where he shared an apartment with teammates Ryan Spooner and Jared Knight and assistant equipment manager Sean Hendricks.

Krug’s play improved steadily as the season wore on, especially after he recovered from a midseason ankle injury. “The last half of the year in Providence he was maybe the best player in the league. He was terrific,” Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli said on Sunday.

“It’s been a crazy year,” said Krug. “When I signed, I chose Boston for this reason. I wanted to win a Stanley Cup. I knew that they expected to win the Stanley Cup year after year, and I knew that we were going to be in contention every year. I’m glad that I just got the opportunity. … It’s been an unbelievable year, for sure.”

“Also, I knew I was going to make it to the NHL. There wasn’t going to be anyone that’s going to get in my way. It was just my mentality, so I’m glad I was able to come to an organization that has the winning ways that we do.”

As much as the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for Krug, there is a lot more excitement just ahead.

Once the Bruins wrap up the playoffs — and possibly another Stanley Cup — Krug will marry his Michigan State sweetheart, Melanie Flood, on July 5.